Bravery, Always a Price to Pay
by Paperturtles
Summary: Rachel Barbra Berry was a very brave girl, sometimes just a little too brave.


Rachel was always brave about a lot of things.

She's brave when it's about singing, she's brave when it's about doing what's right, she's brave about following her dreams. You could say she's a little _too_ brave and it's true.

Rachel Berry doesn't really think about the after effects of her actions and the consequences they bring. She doesn't think of the future despite how much of meticulous planner she may be, she doesn't stop and think enough to know whether or not her actions may have a positive or negative effect on the people around her.

Rachel Berry learned that the hard way when she had bravely stood in front of the Glee club and smiled big and wide. The familiar smile that only Rachel Berry could provide and she did a very brave thing of announcing to the whole Glee club that she, Rachel Barbra Berry was _in love_ with someone in the club.

She ignored the snarky comment (_"When are you not in love?"_) from Santana, the eye roll from Mercedes and continued on with her smile.

She remembers being very brave and spoke in that ever clear voice,

"Now normally, I would sing a song that would reflect my emotions to the person I love in hopes that they would understand how I feel and at the same time be '_woo-ed_' and charmed by my presence, choice of song _and_ incredible ability of showing all my emotions whilst singing! But in these recent days, I've learned that not many songs can convey my feelings very properly and so I've chosen to act on my feelings instead. As they say, _actions speak louder than words_!"

She had heard Mercedes grumble, '_get on with it already.._' and seen Finn's hopeful eyes but her attention weren't focused on them.

Her chocolate brown eyes were set on a certain blonde who was tuning everyone and everything out, choosing to immerse herself deeply in a book instead. She couldn't help but give a small smile at the blonde's choice of literature, '_Alice I Have Been_' -it was just so simply her!

She licked her lips and bravely marched forward, ignoring Finn's hopeful gaze, Puck's frown and Kurt's inquisitive brow. She stood bravely in front of Quinn, the very same former head cheerleader that had spent the beginnings of their High School year ruling the halls with a cold iron fist. The very same Quinn Fabray who made it very clear that she did _not_ like Rachel very much. The same Quinn Fabray who had looked up to see Rachel in time to find the small diva crush her lips upon hers, earning a collective gasp from the club.

A kiss that felt so incredibly soft and electrifying that it had made the hair on the back of her neck stand, made her nerves jolt to life and had sent her heart thundering so hard against her chest, it felt like it was going to burst.

It was a short kiss, a peck that lasted a bit longer than it should have and nothing more really but it made Quinn feel all kinds of rights, feel some feelings she was sure she had buried 30 feet below ground only to have it burst from the earth like the walking undead. Feelings that Quinn wanted to have all along, wanted to embrace _and_ act on for the longest time in her short high school life.

_Feelings that she absolutely couldn't feel because she was Quinn Fabray._

Rachel was a very brave person, a little too brave really but from the actions she had just acted on, one could say she wasn't just brave. _She was stupid too_.

By then the club had been in hurried, loud whispers, pulling out phones and typing out messages to send. By then Finn had turned purple in rage and glared so deeply into Quinn's profile that it could have burned a hole into the girl. By then Quinn had collected enough of her thoughts and emotions to bring back up those infamous walls of hers and stood, towering over Rachel Berry with a face so full of anger, outrage, sorrow and _so many other_ feelings the short diva began to backtrack.

The first time Quinn had hit Rachel was during Prom.

It was a mistake and Quinn had immediately regretted it. She apologized tearfully and told the girl her personal feelings, her fears, let Rachel see a side no one has ever seen in or outside the school's walls. Rachel was grateful for being allowed such an intimate moment, happy and it was then, the tiny brunette had _fell in love_ with the torn blonde.

There was no comforting words after. There was no apology either or any looks of regret. There was only anger and hate and pain and it had just hurt so deeply. The sound echoed so loud that it had silenced the glee club, silenced their heartless gossiping and _forced_ them to stare and watch. Make them stop long enough to feel how much the tension had risen and sit uncomfortably in their chairs as they listened to Quinn's shuddering breaths and watch Rachel's shocked face as her cheek began to swell and turn red.

Listened as Quinn's voice cracked and see the girl who had everything, who became almost nothing, _shatter_ completely in front of them.

_"How dare you!"_

Chocolate eyes met Hazel ones and Rachel cupped her wounded cheek gently as she watched the girl she supposedly loved fall apart at the seams. The girl she had shattered with a single action without thought and Rachel wanted to throw up. She wanted to take it back, _sing_ the stupid song instead or better yet actually talk _-privately!_ Why couldn't she _ever_ do that? Why couldn't she be _normal_ for once and keep things low-key? Why did she _always_ have to make with such a big show?

_Why does she always ruin Quinn Fabray's life?_

She wished Quinn would hit her again, let her be punished physically because what she had done was a hundred times worse. Or yell, scream, shout, anything that would punish Rachel for her stupidity, for just everything but she was only met with frightened and hateful hazel eyes. Quinn had left without another word and without another glance. She found herself left alone instead with the glee club, their eyes penetrating and unsure of what to do. And that had hurt a lot more than any slap of cutting words Quinn could ever muster.

_Rachel Barbra Berry was a very brave girl, sometimes just a little too brave._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hello there! Thank you for reading this short one-shot. It was just something I've written in between my studies/essays and I hope you've enjoyed it. To be honest, this wasn't supposed to be so angsty but as soon as I began writing, it was just a one-way ticket to angstville haha. Anyway thanks again and uh, review I guess. :|_  
><em>


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